Wick straightener for oil heaters



Mr. 1'3, A1923. 1,448,068 R. HOFFMAN WICK STRAIG'TENER FOR OIL HEATERS .Filed July 12, 1929 Patented Mar. 13, 1923.

U Nl i RUDOLPH HOFFMAN, OF KANKAKEE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SEARS, ROEEBUCK y.AND CO.,

' tOE CHICAGO, ILLNOIS, A CORPORATION OF 'NEW' YORK.

WICK STRAIGHTENER FOR OIL HEATES.

Application filed July 12,

1/ 0 all whom it may 'cono-ern.'

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH HOFFMAN, a citizen ot' the United States, residing at Kankakee, in the county of Kankakee and 5 State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in l/Jick Straighteners 'for Oil Heaters, of which the following is a specilication.

The invention relates in general to oil lo heaters of the type comprising a reservoir or font, and a burner having a pair oi con-` centric wick tubes one of which depends int-o the font and .guides a wick surrounding the vsame for up and down mov-ement by suitable 'raising and lowering means. Vicks employed in heaters of the character referred to are severed at diametrically opposite points, near their lower'ends, so as to permit orf the spreading ot the lower end portion of the wick 'over the bottom `ot' the reservoir around the inner wick tube. When the wick is new and oi substantial length, a considerable portion thereof is flared `outwardly over the bottom 'of the reservoir, and

after 'the heater has been in use Vfor `some time, the tendency of the outwardly yflared portion of the wick is to become `set so as to retain its outwardly flared forni. rlhe result isV that as the wick is `gradually consumed 'in 'use so that it becomes necessary from time to time to elevate it with reference to 'the bottom of the reservoir, the outwardly flared portion of the wick is ca'rried a substantial distance above the bottom of the reservoir;

hence, the heater is operative only when the supply of oil in the reservoir is maintained relatively high.

The present invention has for its'object the provision ot wick straightening means 40 of simple construction and yet of an ellicient character adapted to maintain the lowe'rend portion of the wick at all times as near the bottom of the reservoir and around the lower portion of the wick tube as the length of the wick will permit. Thus, when a substantial portion of. the wick has been consumed, necessitating its elevation in the wick tubes, the lower end portion will be straightened out so as to be immersed in the oil contained in the reservoir.

In the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates the invention as applied to an oil heater of a well known form, the view being al tragmentary central vertical section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation ot the wick straightening 1920. Serial No. 395,486.

llowered by suitable means including a toothed wheel 8 coacting with a perforated sleeve fixed to the wick and constituting a carrier v9. 10 designates generally a flame spreaderlhaving means 11 for limiting the upward movement of the wick with reference to the wick tubes 5 and 6.- The inner wick tube 5 depends to the bottom of the font 3, the latter being aper'tu'rcdand flanged upwardly as at l12 to receive the lower end of said wick tube which is secured therein as by means of solder to iorm a liquid-tight joint.`

The lower end portion of the wick is usually divided or split at diametrically opposite sides to form gaps 13 topermit of the outward flaring of the lower end portion of the wick Vover la downwardly and outwardly inclined supporting or bracing ring 14 for the inner `wicfk tube. This ring is secured at its iniier `and outer edges to the inner wicktube and the bottom of the font respectively. l

The wick straightener, as constructed in accordance with the. present invention, is in the form of asingle helically coiled wire 15 constituting a coiled spring adapted to receive or surround the lower end portion of the wick andhaving .its opposite ends removably secured to the wick carrier -a vsubstantial distance above its lowe'r end and at the lower end respectively. Forthevpurlpose of thus securing the member 15 the `upper end orf the member is provided with an upwardly projecting linger 16 bent-sol ast-o be capable ofi-being inserted lthrough one of the apertures of the'wick car'rier9 with the :tree end ofthe ltin-ger projectingy outward-ly through an adjacent aperture; and the lower end of the member 15 may be provided with one or more hooks 17 adapted to engage in the wick. l

As shown in Fig. 1, the member 15 flares outwardly slightly at its lower end over the top of the conical ring 14 and thereby effectively serves to maintain the llower end of the wick in proper relation to the bottom ot the reservoir except as limited by its length. The wick thereby remains at all times immersed in the oil.

It will be seen that I have provided a device of an extremely simple character for efiiciently accomplishing a desirable result. After a wick has been so far consumed in use as to necessitate its replacement by a new wick, the straightening member may be quickly and easily detached and applied to the new wick.

l claim asmy invention l. ln combination with an oil reservoir7 a burner having a wick tube depending into the reservoir, and an annular wick surrounding said wick tube; straightening means for the lower end portion of the wick comprising a helically coiled member surrounding the lower end portion of the wick and removably secured thereto, said means being operable yieldingly to maintain the lower end of the wick near the bottom of the reservoir.

2. The combination with an oil reservoir, a burner having a wick tube depending into the reservoir, and an annular wick surrounding said tube and having its lower end adapted to flare outwardly over the bottom of the reservoir; of means tending to move the lower end portion of the wick toward the bottom of the reservoir including a member in the form of a helically coiled wire spring surrounding the wick and removably secured thereto.

8. The combination with a reservoir, a burner having a wick tube depending into the reservoir, and a wick surrounding the tube and having its lower portion adapted to assume an outwardly flared form over the bottom portion of the reservoir; of1 means tending to maintain the lower .end portion of the wick near the bottom of the reservoir comprising a resilient straightening member in the form of a coil surrounding the wick and secured at a point in fixed relation thereto.

4. The combination with a reservoir, a burner, and a wick depending into the reservoir and having its lower portion severed to permit of its flaring outwardly over the bottom of the reservoir; of straightening means for the wick comprising a helically coiled member adapted to surround the wick and to engage with the wick near the lower end thereof and at a point spaced a substantial distance'above its lower end.

at a point in fixed relation to the wick a substantial distance above its lower end7 and at its lower end a hook adapted to engage with the lower end of the wick.

6. In combination with a reservoir, and a burner having an annular wick depending into the reservoir and severed in its lower portion so as to permit it to flare outwardly over the bottom of the reservoir, said wick having` a metallic perforated carrier;

-=straightening means for the lower end portion of the wick comprising a single helically coiled member adapted to surround the wick and having at its upper end a finger for engaging in one of the apertures of the carrier and at its lower end a hook for engaging in the lower end of the wick.

7. The combination with a reservoir and a burner having an annular wick depending into the reservoir, of' yielding means surrounding' the wick and carried entirely independently of the reservoir and secured at its ends in lixed relation to the wick` said means being operable to maintain the lower end portion of the wick near the bottom of the reservoir except as limited by the length of the wick.

8. The combination with a reservoir and a burner having an annular wick depending into the reservoir. of a single helically coiled spring surrounding the wick having its lower extremity flared outwardly to maintain the lower end portion of the wick near the bottom of the reservoir.

9. A straightening means for tubular wicks of oil heaters comprising a member in the form of a helix adapted to surround the wick and operatively engaging therewith at its ends in fixed relation to the wickso as to tend to move the lower end portion of the wick downwardly toward the bottom ot' the reservoir of the heater.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

RUDOLPH HOFFMAN. 

